Conference: Standardization and Certification of Irrigation Elements and Equipment

AENOR participated in a conference of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) about standards and certification of irrigation elements

There are currently about 50 technical standards laying down the requirements for quality and safety of the irrigation network components (sewer systems, sprinklers and diffusers or remote irrigated areas, etc.).

On April 22, 2015 AENOR participated in the Conference on Standardization and Certification of Irrigation Elements and Equipment held in the National Center for Irrigation Technology.

The conference was addressed by leading experts in the sector and was organized by the General Department of Irrigation and Water Economy of the(Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA).

The aim of the conference was to expose what standardization and certification are and how they work. To know current regulations applicable to irrigation technology and discuss the role that companies and experts can play on excellence and internationalization of irrigation technology.

AENOR was represented by Francisco Luis Arribas and Rosario Laosa, experts in Standardization and Products Certification, respectively. They explained the basics and benefits of standardization and certification. In the final part there was an interesting debate about the situation of the sector, the evolution of standards and rising certification of different elements that join the irrigation networks.

About 50 technical rules establishing quality and safety requirements for: irrigation network components and indicating how tests should be carried out, rules of channelling systems, how to set the requirements for sprinklers and diffusers, remote control for irrigated areas, including water meters for irrigation, among others.

Technical standards indicate how a product or service has to be regarding safety and what consumers expect of it, all available for everyone. These documents describe the market consensus regarding good practices for companies to tackle important processes, regarding their competitiveness, having a direct benefit.

The advantages of certification for manufacturers and users were exposed. Certification ensures that products comply with the requirements of standards and specifications, and require their suitable for the purpose they were manufactured. It also helps to strengthen the competitiveness of manufacturers and helps to open new markets. It also facilitates compliance with European and national legislation.

Currently, AENOR has certified more than 100,000 products.

In the field of elements and irrigation equipment, AENOR currently offers N Mark for plastic piping systems and their accessories.

Similarly, all the different irrigation elements included in the standards can be certified (e.g. hydrants or droppers).